Induction of rheumatoid antibodies in the mouse. Regulated production of autoantibody in the secondary humoral response

J Exp Med. 1983 Aug 1;158(2):529-45. doi: 10.1084/jem.158.2.529.

Abstract

A/J mice were found to produce autoreactive IgM anti-IgG1 in response to secondary immunization with a number of protein antigens. No anti-IgG1 was produced after a single such immunization, indicating that antigen: IgG1 antibody complexes were responsible for inducing the autoreactive response. The size of the anti-IgG1 response was in some cases massive and of the same order of magnitude as the response to the foreign immunizing material. No significant anti-IgG2a, anti-IgG2b, or anti-IgG3 response was found in mice producing anti-IgG1. Virtually all of the anti-IgG1 material produced was of the IgM class and bound to the Fc region of autologous IgG1. A component of the anti-IgG1 was shown to be able to distinguish between the two mouse IgG1 allotypes. These results suggest that self-reactive anti-IgG is a common component of the secondary immune response of mice that may have powerful physiological and immunoregulatory effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antibody Specificity
  • Antibody-Producing Cells / immunology
  • Autoimmune Diseases / immunology*
  • Binding Sites, Antibody
  • Haptens / administration & dosage
  • Hemolytic Plaque Technique
  • Immunization, Secondary*
  • Immunoglobulin Allotypes / analysis
  • Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
  • Immunoglobulin G / immunology
  • Immunoglobulin M / analysis
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred A
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Rheumatoid Factor / biosynthesis*

Substances

  • Haptens
  • Immunoglobulin Allotypes
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Rheumatoid Factor